Nightfall (1956): Cast & Plot
Nightfall is a 1956 crime thriller directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Robert Cherry as Man on Bus with Radio (uncredited), Aldo Ray and James Gregory. It runs 1 hour 18 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 18m (78 min)
- Director
- Jacques Tourneur
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Copa Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Nightfall About?
The premise of Nightfall without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a heist leaves a black bag stuffed with $350,000, a black‑dressed pick‑up girl is found inside, and a dark night is set for lovers and killers, an innocent man is forced to flee. He painstakingly pieces together the night’s events, trying to prove he was framed for a murder and robbery he never committed.
Nightfall Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- on the run
- insurance investigator
- wyoming
- fistfight
- flashback
- bag of money
- missing money
- shack
- nonlinear timeline
- murder of a friend
- murder
- surveillance
+38 more Show fewer
- los angeles california
- fashion model
- pistol whipped
- camping
- hunting trip
- snow plow
- ambush
- footprint in the snow
- abduction
- rifle
- doctor
- car accident
- pursuit
- husband wife relationship
- suspicion
- lost bag
- bus ride
- lost loot
- escaping via backdoor
- friend murdered
- criminal murders an accomplice
- wanted for murder
- cartridge case
- mix up
- suspect killed
- pursuer
- hit on the head
- presumed dead
- firearm
- armed robbery
- bag full of money
- loss of friend
- injured in road accident
- sadistic psychopath
- female scrounger
- shadowing
- unconscious
- bar
Nightfall Cast & Characters
Robert Cherry leads the cast as Man on Bus with Radio (uncredited), with Aldo Ray as James Vanning / Art Rayburn and James Gregory as Ben Fraser. Directed by Jacques Tourneur; 28 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Jacques Tourneur
- Robert Cherry as Man on Bus with Radio (uncredited)
- Aldo Ray as James Vanning / Art Rayburn
- James Gregory as Ben Fraser
-
Anne Bancroft as Marie Gardner
Also Starring in Nightfall
· 24 more- Jocelyn Brando Laura Fraser
- Brian Keith John
- Rudy Bond Red
- Frank Albertson Dr. Edward Gurston
- Bess Flowers Woman at Fashion Show (uncredited)
- Gene Roth Bartender (uncredited)
- Steve Carruthers Fashion Show Spectator (uncredited)
- George Cisar Bus Driver (uncredited)
- Walter Smith Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
- Monty Ash Clerk (uncredited)
- Lillian Culver Woman (uncredited)
- Joan Thorsen Model (uncredited)
- María Belmar Spanish Woman (uncredited)
- Arline Anderson Hostess (uncredited)
- Maya Van Horn Woman (uncredited)
- Betty Koch Model (uncredited)
Show all 28 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Annabelle Thiele Model (uncredited)
- Orlando Beltran Spanish Man (uncredited)
- Winifred Waring Fashion Commentator (uncredited)
- Pat Jones Model (uncredited)
- Art Bucaro Cashier (uncredited)
- Lillian Kassan Model (uncredited)
- Jane Lynn Model (uncredited)
- Eddie McLean Taxi Driver (uncredited)
More from Jacques Tourneur
More films directed by Jacques Tourneur, best-rated first: Out of the Past, Cat People, Nightfall and War-Gods of the Deep.
Nightfall Plot Summary
What happens in Nightfall from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
James ‘Jim’ Vanning, [Aldo Ray], wanders late at night along a busy Los Angeles sidewalk, avoiding bright lights and passing police cars, while he is secretly watched by an insurance investigator named Ben Fraser, [James Gregory]. At a corner, Fraser asks for a light, and the two men share a brief, telling exchange in which Vanning reveals he is a war veteran who fought on Okinawa. Vanning then slips into a bar and sits beside Marie Gardner, [Anne Bancroft], who has been nursing her drink because she cannot pay for it. Vanning graciously pays for her drink, and the two end up sharing a quiet dinner.
Full summary
The whole story of Nightfall, scene by scene
Nightfall Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Nightfall.
How Well Do You Know Nightfall?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the war veteran who wanders the Los Angeles streets at night?
Cars in Nightfall
20 cars on screen, including the 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner and the 1952 Ford Customline.
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1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner Main role -
1952 Ford Customline Important role -
1956 Ford Customline Important role -
FWD Important role
Seen Nightfall?
Movies Like Nightfall
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Night of the Running Man, Night and the City and The Night of the Following Day.
Nightfall FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Nightfall, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Nightfall?
Nightfall runs 1 hour 18 minutes (78 minutes).
When was Nightfall released?
Nightfall was released on November 9, 1956.
Who directed Nightfall?
Nightfall was directed by Jacques Tourneur.
More films by Jacques Tourneur Who is in the cast of Nightfall?
Nightfall stars Robert Cherry as Man on Bus with Radio (uncredited), Aldo Ray as James Vanning / Art Rayburn and James Gregory as Ben Fraser, among 28 credited actors.
Does Nightfall have a post-credit scene?
No. Nightfall has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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